Draft preventing attachment for doors



Jan. 20, 1953 c. E. KETCHAM DRAFT PREVENTING ATTACHMENT FOR DOORS Filed'Aug. 25, 1949 Inventor Charles E. Kare/ram I Patented Jan. 20, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAFT PREVENTING ATTACHMENT FOR DOORSCharles E. Ketcham, South Gate, Calif. Application August 25, 1949,Serial No. 112,356

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a draftpreventing attachment for doors and more specifically pertains to asealing strip pivotally mounted upon the lower portion of a door andautomatically moved to. a closed position upon closing of the door forsealing the space beneath the bottom edge of a door.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means foreliminating drafts through the spaces customarily provided beneath thelower edges of doors.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft preventingattachment for the lower edges of doors which will automatically assumea raised, non-sealing position while the door is open and will beautomatically urged to a door-sealing position when the door is closed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedconstruction of draft-preventing attachment for doors in conformity withthe foregoing objects which shall be of simple and inexpensiveconstruction, easily and unobtrusively applied to conventional doors,and yet is highly efficient for the purposes intended.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of theinvention which will later become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodimentof which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower portion of adoor and door frame showing the attachment forming the present inventionapplied thereto, the door being indicated in its closed 05151 1 1 Figure2 is a fragmentary detail perspective view of the actuating end of thedoor sealing means in accordance with this invention, the same beingshown in its normal position when the door is open;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Figure 2 butshowing the attachment in its fully raised position to illustrate themounting and construction of the same;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon an enlargedscale substantially upon the plane of the section line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional detail viewtaken substantially upon the plane of the section line 55 of Figure 1and upon an enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the flexible blade of the sealing attachmentof the invention; and

Figure '7 is a plan view, parts being broken 1 Claim. (01. 20-67) away,of a metal blank from which a portion of the present invention isformed.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, itwill be seen that the numeral l0 designates a portion of a door of anyconventional form which is mounted in a suitable door frame whichincludes a vertical member l2.

As is well known, it is customary to leave a certain minimum clearancebeneath the edges of the doors when the same are in their closedposition, in order to eliminate any danger of the door scraping thefloor or a rug when the door is moved to its open position. Thisclearance is, however, objectionable in that it permits and causesdrafts to occur beneath the door, which thereby render the floor anunsafe place for children to play, as well as being objectionable forother reasons.

In accordance with the present invention, a door sealing means ispivotally mounted upon the door and so constructed as to automaticallyclose or seal the space when the door is in its closed position, and tobe automatically opened to thereby not prevent movement of the door whenthe same is in its open position, as will be hereinafter set forth. 4

This sealing strip conveniently comprises a metallic strip which extendssubstantially throughout the length of the door, and which is foldedupon its medial longitudinal axis as at 13 in Figure 7 to provide frontand back web portions [4 and I6, connected by a cylindrically curvedintermediate portion I8 adapted to embrace a transversely extending pin20 forming a hinge or pivot pin for the wing member. A pliable sheet ofmaterial such as rubber or the like, and indicated at 22 in Figure 6, isadapted to be positioned between the front and rear portions 14 and I6,and to be retained therein as by indentations 2| struck from the backplate ltforwardly toward the front plate [4 for crimping and securelyanchoring the rubber blade therebetween. This blade is provided at itsupper edge with notched or cutout portions 24 which are adapted toaccommodate the hinge plates of the attachment, and a cutout portion 25,referred to hereinafter.

Referring now more specifically to Figure '7, it will be seen that theentire wing member of the attachment may be conveniently formed from asingle stamping or sheet metal blank, indicated generally by the numeral26 as being of elongated, rectangular shape, this blank being providedwith a convex cam surface 40 by'meansonwhich-the device is automaticallypivotally moved, as set forth hereinafter.

The blank 25 is then foldedllponjts,longitudinal medial axis 13 toprovide thethinge portion I8 and the two front and rear plates l lgandzI6; as set forth hereinbefore, this folding movement p-thusproducingnotches corresponding to thecutout portions 2 8. Between thesenotchealthecon- ..necting -portions thus ,provide .theabove men--.-tione.d cylindrical. hingaportions l8.

-When :the ,member 132 lhas been folded upon itselfhthe projection. 34isthus disposed inwardly rofgthe seam,..ancl ,is. disposed between .thefolded plates 1.4 and '16 .to reinforce and anchor the lever 38, theprojectionibeing receivedinthecutout,portion 25in. the. rubberibladel22.

.-A toeplate di-issecuredlto thedoor frame .as; by :fasteriing. screwsI46, ,and constitutes an v,almtment A or -toe plate which .is adapted tobe cengagedbythe .cam, member 48 .on. the arm T38 whenlthe-jdoor .is.closed. vPreferably, this toe ,plateisprovided with downwardly struckprogiections which mayibeengagedin the door frame 12 Wherebythe platemaybepressed ,into the 'door ;frame or: driven therein as by. a hammer andheld in place until the screwsJlfiare inserted; .Therhinge, pin. .20extending through the, hinge ,portionsAZ :and ;l-.8 is likewise embracedby. conventional .brackets 4.8,.-,as shown, inl-T'igures.v 3. and which,brackets m y have. inturned sharpened ,prQlectionsiOadapted tobegembedded intothe wood of :the door I I 9 .for mounting the bracketslin:pl-ace until-fastening means,:- such asscrews 52, may be inserted.The screwse52are-countersunk rso asltor leave-iarsmooth orfiushsurfaceupon the .bracket 48 which thus will permit the device ;togfold; downwardlyiflat. against the door, as shown lin'rFig-ures4.

.eAbeut reach .of "the :hinges .48, thereare ,prowided suitable springmeanslconsisting ofrhelieal -.coils.-;54eembracingythe:hinse; pininitheinotches :ifqnmed :lay ;.the cutout, portions .128, thesei pringss'hayinga,arms 56and;58 Which.='res p.ectively abut i-theldoor .--and;the;under; surf-ace: or ,the rearsurgfaceqof thaplate [6. Thesesprings: are of such rstrength and proportions as -;to normally ;pivotathegsealingqattachment 'to ,a ;,position of about i W e s.- .as'shown-in Figure. ;2,- with respect ttoithe door,-so.asto thereby-preventthe attach- .nmentjrom dragging the floor when the door is:indtsopen.position. However, the arm 3011880 ,positionedthat-whenthesdoor is closed, thecam surfacedfl willabutlthe abutmentplate 44 and 4 thereby rotate the attachment to door-closing position.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that there has been provided anattachment which will effectively completely close or seal the spacebeneath a door, thus preventing drafts therethrough when the door is inits closed position; and will be automatically .elevatedmutof contactwith the Lfioor when the'doorisl'openedithe device being of a simpleconstruction, quickly and easily in- .rstalled, unobtrusively mounted,and highly effective for the purposes intended.

Fromthe-foregoing, the construction and op- "eration will be readilyunderstood and further cexplanation;is::believed to be unnecessary.However, sincenumerous modifications and changes will readilyoccur tothose skilled in the art after ;a;.consideration of the foregoingspecification and accompanying drawings, it is not desired to limit .theinvention to the exact construction ,shown ,.and..described,lbut all,suitable modifications. and

equivalentsmay be resortedto, falling Withinthe scope ofthe appendedclaim.

,Having. thus. disclosed and described the invention, what. is. claimedas new is as'follows:

A door seal comprising a blade of'flexiblelma- .terial, a blade holdersecured .to said'blade, a hingepin .pivotally securing said holdertonthe .vertical. surface ofa dooradjacent the lower end thereof, saidblade beingpositionedzfor en agement with the .floor andfor closing-thespace between the door andfioor,resilientmeansintereposedbetween saidholder and door and. surrounding said hingepin and urgingsaid'bladeholder and blade into a raised position,,an integral arm on saidholderfor engagementwiththe door, frame to .ur-gesaid .holderand blade,into their lowered position whenlsaid door is closed,

.said. holder comprising .an elon ated .,sheet of metal folded on itsmedial longitudinal. axis sto ,rorm ;curve,d .hinge ,portions, saidsheet ,having longitudinally -.sp.aced openings on ,said .mediallongitudinal axis forming notches when .said

.sheet is,f01ded,.the. folded portions of said sheet embracingsaid-blade,.brackets supporting said pinfromsaid door, said..notchesreceiving said bracketsrsaid sheet having a longitudinallyextendinglaterally enlarged portion folded along a medial transverse line toformsaid arm.

CHARLES E. KETCHAM.

.REEERENCESLCITED ;Thezfollowingrreferencesiare ;of :recordrin ..=the

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,488,652 Scrabic ,Apr. ,1, .l924,1,805,512 Chandler May 19,. 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country ;,Date

20,057 France Dec. 14,1915 203,437 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1923 476,654Great Britain Mar. 4, 1936

